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abbier_14's reviews
162 reviews
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Omg im so glad this was better than the second one i was worried. After i finished new moon i kept wanting to start this one but i put it off for somereason but it paid off bc this was so good. I'll start off with the bad and end with the things i loved.
➡ Ok the only bits i didnt like were the long chapters on Jasper and Rosalie's backstory and the one about that folklore story from Billy. It was just a bit boring and the other parts of the book were really good that i just wanted to get back to them.
However i did like Rosalie's story it was really sad but felt 'real'. Like it makes sense why her character acts the way she does because of where shes come from and what she wanted out of life. I'm glad Rosalie has stayed consistent with disproving of Bella because i feel like it adds some level headedness that is needed in a plot like this and adds some tension.
I wish we got to see more of Emmett and her though because apparantly they are really in love but we dont see it. I also wish the same of Jasper and Alice but the scene in the last book where they just stare at each other totally ignoring the rest of the world when Alice got back from Italy was really impactful.
In my last review I said how i did want to see more of Jaspers backstory but then when i got it I was just disappointed. I guess it was interesting enough and I like how it fit with what was going on but we didnt really get any insight on why his power is what it is. That was the aspect I wanted to know more about but it didnt really happen.
➡ Urghhh I'm am super super annoyed that Meyer had Jacob practically sexually assult Bella like why was that needed. I really wanted Bella and Jacob to kiss in the last book but not like this. It just came out of left field i feel like before Jacob was really respectful of Bella but then suddenly he becomes pushy and weird.
Also Edward barely gets annoyed like hes so passive over the fact this guy is literally taking advantage of Bella. I know he thinks that it will hurt Bella too much if he hurts Jacob and theres this whole pact but like come on I think theres a line that can be drawn and if someone crosses it Edward is allowed to throw a punch or two.
Im just so conflicted about whether im team Edward or team Jacob because i find Edward soo boring like i want some humour, which Jacob then provides and the vibe is better, but then Jacob goes and does this so i cant support him anymore. I wish Edward had Jacobs personality because even though hes boring i love the relationship he has with Bella.
➡ Also i love Bella in this book. I dont know why but before i even read the book i was biased against Bella because ive heard about how annoying and weak she is but i feel like shes really growing. Even in my review of the first book i was annoyed at her lol. But i just feel like she comes across as way more mature in this book, she isn't as over the top with Edward, and is even being more realistic about turning into a vampire.
I hear a lot of criticism about how Meyer's mormon values were really forced onto Bella which is why shes kind of like this boring, plain girl but i really dont see how thats the case. Bella is passionate and stands up for herself (punching Jacob after he forcefully kissed her for example). She also doesnt like the idea about getting married to Edward due to her 21st century values that you shouldnt get married young, and she also really wants to have sex with him before marriage lol.
Basically ive just really grown to like Bella and i think this is why i liked the book so much because i enjoyed living in her point of view and hearing her thoughts.
➡ The conflict in this was good as well. It wasnt as tense as the last book, in New Moon it was more of the build up and this was the payoff but it was still entertaining. I loved the growing dynamics of the pact and the Cullens working together, and how they are building relationships and trust after years of hatred.
Its going to be interesting to see how this plays out when Bella is a vampire, and if the line between Vampire/Werewolf territory gets broken due to Bella not wanting to choose sides.
Overrall it was really good. Just a view things i wish were different but it doesn't compleately ruin the whole book. I don't know if this is my favourite of the saga so far ill have to wait and see. Hopefully my hopes arent too high for the last one
➡ Ok the only bits i didnt like were the long chapters on Jasper and Rosalie's backstory and the one about that folklore story from Billy. It was just a bit boring and the other parts of the book were really good that i just wanted to get back to them.
However i did like Rosalie's story it was really sad but felt 'real'. Like it makes sense why her character acts the way she does because of where shes come from and what she wanted out of life. I'm glad Rosalie has stayed consistent with disproving of Bella because i feel like it adds some level headedness that is needed in a plot like this and adds some tension.
I wish we got to see more of Emmett and her though because apparantly they are really in love but we dont see it. I also wish the same of Jasper and Alice but the scene in the last book where they just stare at each other totally ignoring the rest of the world when Alice got back from Italy was really impactful.
In my last review I said how i did want to see more of Jaspers backstory but then when i got it I was just disappointed. I guess it was interesting enough and I like how it fit with what was going on but we didnt really get any insight on why his power is what it is. That was the aspect I wanted to know more about but it didnt really happen.
➡ Urghhh I'm am super super annoyed that Meyer had Jacob practically sexually assult Bella like why was that needed. I really wanted Bella and Jacob to kiss in the last book but not like this. It just came out of left field i feel like before Jacob was really respectful of Bella but then suddenly he becomes pushy and weird.
Also Edward barely gets annoyed like hes so passive over the fact this guy is literally taking advantage of Bella. I know he thinks that it will hurt Bella too much if he hurts Jacob and theres this whole pact but like come on I think theres a line that can be drawn and if someone crosses it Edward is allowed to throw a punch or two.
Im just so conflicted about whether im team Edward or team Jacob because i find Edward soo boring like i want some humour, which Jacob then provides and the vibe is better, but then Jacob goes and does this so i cant support him anymore. I wish Edward had Jacobs personality because even though hes boring i love the relationship he has with Bella.
➡ Also i love Bella in this book. I dont know why but before i even read the book i was biased against Bella because ive heard about how annoying and weak she is but i feel like shes really growing. Even in my review of the first book i was annoyed at her lol. But i just feel like she comes across as way more mature in this book, she isn't as over the top with Edward, and is even being more realistic about turning into a vampire.
I hear a lot of criticism about how Meyer's mormon values were really forced onto Bella which is why shes kind of like this boring, plain girl but i really dont see how thats the case. Bella is passionate and stands up for herself (punching Jacob after he forcefully kissed her for example). She also doesnt like the idea about getting married to Edward due to her 21st century values that you shouldnt get married young, and she also really wants to have sex with him before marriage lol.
Basically ive just really grown to like Bella and i think this is why i liked the book so much because i enjoyed living in her point of view and hearing her thoughts.
➡ The conflict in this was good as well. It wasnt as tense as the last book, in New Moon it was more of the build up and this was the payoff but it was still entertaining. I loved the growing dynamics of the pact and the Cullens working together, and how they are building relationships and trust after years of hatred.
Its going to be interesting to see how this plays out when Bella is a vampire, and if the line between Vampire/Werewolf territory gets broken due to Bella not wanting to choose sides.
Overrall it was really good. Just a view things i wish were different but it doesn't compleately ruin the whole book. I don't know if this is my favourite of the saga so far ill have to wait and see. Hopefully my hopes arent too high for the last one
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Thank god im done with this i was seriously tempted to dnf but i decided to push through it with an audiobook.
- First of all the plot was non existent, or it was too drawn out for you to notice its there. You basically just visited multiple characters (way too many in my opinion) got descriptions of what they were doing and how they are so British, and then you moved on to the next people and the cycle repeats. It is soooooooo difficult to read bc the authors are just going on tangents every five seconds that has no relation to the plot at all and doesn't add anything. It was so frustrating, even from the start i was confused because its so difficult to keep track. There is too much explanation and description but its so bad that you still have no idea whats going on.
AND THE ENDING URGGHHGHGHGH its not even an ending i wanted like terror to reign down on everyone or something but we are basically just right back at the beginning. Its so pointless and a waste of my time. Also we barely got any of the prophecies of Agnes Nutter, or not enough which i thought would play a more central part of the book and would be more interesting then just following a bunch of characters around.
- I didnt like any of the characters even though i had seen praise that the two main characters in this (whos names im not even trying to spell correctly) had the cutest relationship theyd read. Ok actually i lied i did like the four horsemen/bikers of the apocalypse but i think its because in the audiobook they had American accents which were nice and refreshing to listen too.
But the rest of the characters omg they were so stale and dry and boring. Honestly it felt like you were just in a random village reading about the most ordinary and mundane people you could ever find. Im guessing thats the point but still it does not make it more interesting. Also there was one who was like an incel guy who was the most annoying person omg did the authors think his incompetence was endearing or something???
Also the childrens dialogue was so bad. If one of them hadnt had an 11th birthday party at the start of the book i would be extremely confused at their age and i would have thought they were just jobless adults or even old people. No child speaks like this or about these things, this just added to the unnecessary conversations we had to read about that were not funny or witty at all.
- The major reason why this book fell flat for me was it was too British. Honestly im not a very big fan of British humour, it just feels very dated and reminds me of old people. A lot of the references in this book you wouldnt understand unless you were British, or you might not even understand it if you are British but youre under the age of 40 and didnt grow up in a small town (aka me). This book just felt like two middle age men had come together to write jokes that only my parents would find funny. I didnt find it cosy or comforting or familiar if thats what the authors were going for, it was just grating tbh. The accents in the audiobook also didnt help with this. I feel like im not describing very well how much this aspect of the book annoyed me but just know that it was a lot and i rolled my eyes everytime a part of the motorway was mentioned as if its meant to have any relevance to my life. Its like the authors believed the people reading this would be one homogenous group who all shared their experiences so they could just write about the most specific and boring things that they believe will make me laugh because they laugh.
Terrible wouldnt recommend to anyone please stay away.
- First of all the plot was non existent, or it was too drawn out for you to notice its there. You basically just visited multiple characters (way too many in my opinion) got descriptions of what they were doing and how they are so British, and then you moved on to the next people and the cycle repeats. It is soooooooo difficult to read bc the authors are just going on tangents every five seconds that has no relation to the plot at all and doesn't add anything. It was so frustrating, even from the start i was confused because its so difficult to keep track. There is too much explanation and description but its so bad that you still have no idea whats going on.
AND THE ENDING URGGHHGHGHGH its not even an ending i wanted like terror to reign down on everyone or something but we are basically just right back at the beginning. Its so pointless and a waste of my time. Also we barely got any of the prophecies of Agnes Nutter, or not enough which i thought would play a more central part of the book and would be more interesting then just following a bunch of characters around.
- I didnt like any of the characters even though i had seen praise that the two main characters in this (whos names im not even trying to spell correctly) had the cutest relationship theyd read. Ok actually i lied i did like the four horsemen/bikers of the apocalypse but i think its because in the audiobook they had American accents which were nice and refreshing to listen too.
But the rest of the characters omg they were so stale and dry and boring. Honestly it felt like you were just in a random village reading about the most ordinary and mundane people you could ever find. Im guessing thats the point but still it does not make it more interesting. Also there was one who was like an incel guy who was the most annoying person omg did the authors think his incompetence was endearing or something???
Also the childrens dialogue was so bad. If one of them hadnt had an 11th birthday party at the start of the book i would be extremely confused at their age and i would have thought they were just jobless adults or even old people. No child speaks like this or about these things, this just added to the unnecessary conversations we had to read about that were not funny or witty at all.
- The major reason why this book fell flat for me was it was too British. Honestly im not a very big fan of British humour, it just feels very dated and reminds me of old people. A lot of the references in this book you wouldnt understand unless you were British, or you might not even understand it if you are British but youre under the age of 40 and didnt grow up in a small town (aka me). This book just felt like two middle age men had come together to write jokes that only my parents would find funny. I didnt find it cosy or comforting or familiar if thats what the authors were going for, it was just grating tbh. The accents in the audiobook also didnt help with this. I feel like im not describing very well how much this aspect of the book annoyed me but just know that it was a lot and i rolled my eyes everytime a part of the motorway was mentioned as if its meant to have any relevance to my life. Its like the authors believed the people reading this would be one homogenous group who all shared their experiences so they could just write about the most specific and boring things that they believe will make me laugh because they laugh.
Terrible wouldnt recommend to anyone please stay away.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- When I first started reading this book I thought it was going to be very different than it was. I thought it was going to be about this demon who lives in hell and kinda has this The Office style life but where everything is 10x worse. You do get a little bit of that but mostly his work does not take place in an office and actually on Earth or random restaurants in hell.
However, despite this i found myself hooked from the start. Its very easy to read and has a certain personal tone that makes it feel like you are reading a diary which i think helps to get you captivated in the story.
- So the plot has multiple perspectives but two story lines, one in hell and one on earth. Tbh it was kinda like reading two separate stories as the two barely connected until like the last couple of chapters. This gave me like whiplash as suddenly im on Earth and there is a very different vibe than the hell story line. The earth story line is more coming of age, family orientated murder mystery, whereas the hell story line is much more focused on world building and how it all works.
I did prefer the Earth storyline. I was more interested in it and had more of the tropes that i like reading about. This meant that i was kind of disappointed everytime i was reading a hell chapter, but a bonus of this book is that the chapters are quite short so youre flipping from earth to hell and back quickly which is good for my attention span.
However the ending to the book was a little confusing and frustrating. I think i understand what happened now as ive read discussions on it but i was like huh? that was a little disapointing. I think there was such a high moment right at the end and then it feels as though the book suddenly stops just as its getting good. And then you get an epilogue but it focuses of the hell characters and adds to the confusion, rather than giving us an update on the Earth story which i think is the more interesting one and had the most loose ends. However the rest of this book was good enough that im not that mad at the ending not living up to expectations.
- A lot of the characters in this book were annoying, psycho, and needed therapy. I loved Pey, Mickey and Sean, I didnt like ruth but i found the situations she put the three of them in fun to read.
I am so confused that just because someone accidentally let your sister die, you would seduce his wife, send your daughter to kill his daughter, and then try and kill his wife. Like im sure time would heal the wound enough that this is a little extreme and out there.
i didnt put two and two together that Ruth was Gavin's daughter, but im so confused at how she could actually love Mickey, be her best friend and then agree to KILL her just so she can get close to her father who hasnt been in her life for years.
I hateddd Cal she was that annoying character who thinks theyre better than everyone else just because she grew up with a tough dad and lived in foster care. Had no sympathy for her because she was rude to pey, and i just wasnt interested in her story line at all.
I hated Lily she was just constantly moping in self pity and also was cheating on her marriage? like it seemed as though they just grew apart but Lily was trying to make out that Silas was a psychopath even though he was just doing normal things like not wanting to settle down as a teenager, and then becoming a good (ok apart from that lake scene) dad.
Ok so i was pretty sure my favourite character would have been Silas if he didnt have weird slightly pedophilic thoughts about how Ruth reminded him of a girl he hooked up with when he was 17. I alsooo hated that it turned out that he was actually the one responsible for the murder and his brother took the blame. Why cant we just have nice things?? why does everyone have to be flawed in this book i just want one character who does nothing wrong so my feelings dont keep getting ripped up.
But yeah i liked how this book gave you the best of both worlds with fantasy but also a coming of age summer mystery novel lol. Good read.
However, despite this i found myself hooked from the start. Its very easy to read and has a certain personal tone that makes it feel like you are reading a diary which i think helps to get you captivated in the story.
- So the plot has multiple perspectives but two story lines, one in hell and one on earth. Tbh it was kinda like reading two separate stories as the two barely connected until like the last couple of chapters. This gave me like whiplash as suddenly im on Earth and there is a very different vibe than the hell story line. The earth story line is more coming of age, family orientated murder mystery, whereas the hell story line is much more focused on world building and how it all works.
I did prefer the Earth storyline. I was more interested in it and had more of the tropes that i like reading about. This meant that i was kind of disappointed everytime i was reading a hell chapter, but a bonus of this book is that the chapters are quite short so youre flipping from earth to hell and back quickly which is good for my attention span.
However the ending to the book was a little confusing and frustrating. I think i understand what happened now as ive read discussions on it but i was like huh? that was a little disapointing. I think there was such a high moment right at the end and then it feels as though the book suddenly stops just as its getting good. And then you get an epilogue but it focuses of the hell characters and adds to the confusion, rather than giving us an update on the Earth story which i think is the more interesting one and had the most loose ends. However the rest of this book was good enough that im not that mad at the ending not living up to expectations.
- A lot of the characters in this book were annoying, psycho, and needed therapy. I loved Pey, Mickey and Sean, I didnt like ruth but i found the situations she put the three of them in fun to read.
i didnt put two and two together that Ruth was Gavin's daughter, but im so confused at how she could actually love Mickey, be her best friend and then agree to KILL her just so she can get close to her father who hasnt been in her life for years.
I hateddd Cal she was that annoying character who thinks theyre better than everyone else just because she grew up with a tough dad and lived in foster care. Had no sympathy for her because she was rude to pey, and i just wasnt interested in her story line at all.
I hated Lily she was just constantly moping in self pity and also was cheating on her marriage? like it seemed as though they just grew apart but Lily was trying to make out that Silas was a psychopath even though he was just doing normal things like not wanting to settle down as a teenager, and then becoming a good (ok apart from that lake scene) dad.
Ok so i was pretty sure my favourite character would have been Silas if he didnt have weird slightly pedophilic thoughts about how Ruth reminded him of a girl he hooked up with when he was 17. I alsooo hated that it turned out that he was actually the one responsible for the murder and his brother took the blame. Why cant we just have nice things?? why does everyone have to be flawed in this book i just want one character who does nothing wrong so my feelings dont keep getting ripped up.
But yeah i liked how this book gave you the best of both worlds with fantasy but also a coming of age summer mystery novel lol. Good read.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
torture.
This was soooo difficult to read that i had to use an audio book and it took me 21 days to finish.
The story is very boring and only started to get somewhat decent about half way through, but i still couldnt actual read it and could only listen to it.
It does make sense that it is more entertaining when being read out because apparantly it was a bedtime story. I also seem to not enjoy old writing styles, adding this with mythical creatures and stuff i was definitely going to have a hard time being engaged with the story.
It was semi alright near the end but i still wouldnt recommend it to anyone.
This was soooo difficult to read that i had to use an audio book and it took me 21 days to finish.
The story is very boring and only started to get somewhat decent about half way through, but i still couldnt actual read it and could only listen to it.
It does make sense that it is more entertaining when being read out because apparantly it was a bedtime story. I also seem to not enjoy old writing styles, adding this with mythical creatures and stuff i was definitely going to have a hard time being engaged with the story.
It was semi alright near the end but i still wouldnt recommend it to anyone.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I wanted to read a Neil Gaiman book before i tried American Gods so i decided to read Coraline. I have watched the film i think which i remember being a lot more scary and also included scenes that were not in the book.
I did like the book though i thought Coraline was a cute main character and i like the vibes of all the neighbours and the quirky cat and stuff. I wouldnt describe the book as scary but it is definitely tense, I was often skimming to the bottom of the page to find out what happens before allowing myself to read the page properly lol.
It also didnt feel overly childish which was good bc i was nervous about that. It does feel like not a lot happens compared to the film but it is 200 pages long so that makes sense, i also really like the illustrations included in the edition i read i thought it was good story building and created nice imagery.
I did like the book though i thought Coraline was a cute main character and i like the vibes of all the neighbours and the quirky cat and stuff. I wouldnt describe the book as scary but it is definitely tense, I was often skimming to the bottom of the page to find out what happens before allowing myself to read the page properly lol.
It also didnt feel overly childish which was good bc i was nervous about that. It does feel like not a lot happens compared to the film but it is 200 pages long so that makes sense, i also really like the illustrations included in the edition i read i thought it was good story building and created nice imagery.
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Im shocked that this was written by TJR. I thought i was going to love it bc i have two of her books rated 5 stars but this book is a completely different vibe, i had completely different expectations on what it was going to be like.
- First of all i did not enjoy the choppy writing style this book has. It just feels childish and like im reading a wattpad fanfiction instead of a book by an established author. I get that it is probably to develop a more personal diary like style but it added to the cringe and cheesyness.
- This book was so cringe and cheesy i couldnt stand it. It was also too perfect even though the moral of the story is that decisions can have consequences that arent always going to be great but you dont know what else it would lead to. It includes the most cliche tropes ever like going through a divorce, accidental pregnancy, getting back with your high school bf all of that stuff which also made it feel like a wattpad book. There were also loads of over the top inspirational quotes in there for no reason like maybe if your life is falling apart you'll like this book but it was just so eww.
- The characters honestly acted like children i dont know if she was going for millenial core where its quirky and fun to not have your life together at 30 but it wasnt endearing at all. Everyone was so unrealistic especially the parents im convinced TJR was made in a lab or something bc no parents have conversations like this irl. The main characters only personality traits was that she doesnt settle down, she likes cinnamon rolls, she wears buns, and she has boobs? i dont know why they had to be mentioned every two pages, maybe its part of the quirky millenial thing but i just dont get it.
- I also hated the dual timeline thing it just wasnt what i expected. It also was sometimes difficult to tell which timeline i was reading because they are so similar. I didnt like the ending for any of the timelines and just found the plot boring and predictable, probably because like i said it was filled with cliche.
So yeah completely baffled by the fact this is written by TJR and ill probably stick to her historical fiction as thats what she seems to do best.
- First of all i did not enjoy the choppy writing style this book has. It just feels childish and like im reading a wattpad fanfiction instead of a book by an established author. I get that it is probably to develop a more personal diary like style but it added to the cringe and cheesyness.
- This book was so cringe and cheesy i couldnt stand it. It was also too perfect even though the moral of the story is that decisions can have consequences that arent always going to be great but you dont know what else it would lead to. It includes the most cliche tropes ever like going through a divorce, accidental pregnancy, getting back with your high school bf all of that stuff which also made it feel like a wattpad book. There were also loads of over the top inspirational quotes in there for no reason like maybe if your life is falling apart you'll like this book but it was just so eww.
- The characters honestly acted like children i dont know if she was going for millenial core where its quirky and fun to not have your life together at 30 but it wasnt endearing at all. Everyone was so unrealistic especially the parents im convinced TJR was made in a lab or something bc no parents have conversations like this irl. The main characters only personality traits was that she doesnt settle down, she likes cinnamon rolls, she wears buns, and she has boobs? i dont know why they had to be mentioned every two pages, maybe its part of the quirky millenial thing but i just dont get it.
- I also hated the dual timeline thing it just wasnt what i expected. It also was sometimes difficult to tell which timeline i was reading because they are so similar. I didnt like the ending for any of the timelines and just found the plot boring and predictable, probably because like i said it was filled with cliche.
So yeah completely baffled by the fact this is written by TJR and ill probably stick to her historical fiction as thats what she seems to do best.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- First of all this book had a way better conflict than the first one. The first book conflict was so predictable because obviously Bella was going to get attacked by a vampire it was bound to happen. This book had like layers and layers of conflict. For example, Edward tryna kill himself and the italian thingy, bella's whole debate about becoming a vampire, jacob vs edward, charlie was more involved in trying to protect Bella, victoria etc it felt like so many things were happening to give the story some depth.
- However with saying that the book did drag which is why im not rating it as highly as the first one. The first one i can imagine re-reading but i dont know whether i would be able to get myself to finish this one again. So Bella is depressed in this book which obviously means the book is also gloomy and empty as we are living through bella. The book does feel slow and i was waiting for the excitement, however it does pick up in the end. I guess this is more of a slow burn and we do have some conflict at the start like with Jacob and stuff so its not entirely terrible but not as good as the first.
- So now this is where im confused. So basically in my last review i said that i was team Jacob, and this book features more of jacob and bella together which should have been exciting right? Well i found myself not loving the pairing and i was kinda bored. However i am gonna mainly blame it on the fact Bella was depressed and that if they were hanging out more when she was her normal self it could have been more interesting and fun. But then when Edward came back i was suddenly missing Jacob again so i dont know whether i only like Jacob because he is the lesser of two evils if that makes sense, but i was also relieved when Edward came back because it brought the life back into Bella. I am so annoyed that Bella and Jacob didnt even kiss like why did Stephenie Meyer have to take that away from me at least have it happen once pleaseeee.
- Bella was so annoying in the start and at the very end of the book. So at the start she was annoying cause she wouldnt do anything and was just wallowing in sadness that Edward had gone and i was like girl get up. Then at the end Bella was annoying because she had an 'epiphany' that Edward loved her and im like i thought we already knew this??? how is this a revalation i think bella has self esteem issues and should maybe do some affirmations or something, carry a crystal around maybe lol i think it would make her less annoying.
She was also so mean to Charlie like the amount of times she just ran away from home with no note or anything like Charlie must be worried sick and also just tired of Bella. Like imagine having a little brat of a child that brings you to near heart attacks every month just cause her boyfriend ran away like i would be getting annoyed as well and trying to stop her from hanging out with Edward. Bella is just so frustating, she pretends to care about Charlie but just constantly hurts him and only thinks about herself, selfish really.
Bella was also getting on my nerves about the whole turn me into a vampire thing, she honestly sounded cringy and desparate did she have no dignity at all. Imagine being a vampire in a coven and this random human girl was tripping over herself in excitement to become one of you i would be like this girl needs a reality check and some self respect. Also imagine Rosalie who hates being a vampire and theres this girl who doesnt care about the consequences at all and just wants to be with her stupid boyfriend forever. God.
- I was also suprisingly missing all of Bella's human 'friends'. We only saw them like twice and i didnt realise how much i enjoyed the scenes with them and Bella at school. I wrote in my last review how i didnt like how Bella was distancing herself from humans to make it more obvious she should turn into a vampire and i still hate it. I feel like having more humans in Bellas life would balance out the story and make Bella more appreciative of her human life, instead of making an irrational decision for one guy.
So yeah not as good as the first but also hasnt put me off the saga all together.
- However with saying that the book did drag which is why im not rating it as highly as the first one. The first one i can imagine re-reading but i dont know whether i would be able to get myself to finish this one again. So Bella is depressed in this book which obviously means the book is also gloomy and empty as we are living through bella. The book does feel slow and i was waiting for the excitement, however it does pick up in the end. I guess this is more of a slow burn and we do have some conflict at the start like with Jacob and stuff so its not entirely terrible but not as good as the first.
- So now this is where im confused. So basically in my last review i said that i was team Jacob, and this book features more of jacob and bella together which should have been exciting right? Well i found myself not loving the pairing and i was kinda bored. However i am gonna mainly blame it on the fact Bella was depressed and that if they were hanging out more when she was her normal self it could have been more interesting and fun. But then when Edward came back i was suddenly missing Jacob again so i dont know whether i only like Jacob because he is the lesser of two evils if that makes sense, but i was also relieved when Edward came back because it brought the life back into Bella. I am so annoyed that Bella and Jacob didnt even kiss like why did Stephenie Meyer have to take that away from me at least have it happen once pleaseeee.
- Bella was so annoying in the start and at the very end of the book. So at the start she was annoying cause she wouldnt do anything and was just wallowing in sadness that Edward had gone and i was like girl get up. Then at the end Bella was annoying because she had an 'epiphany' that Edward loved her and im like i thought we already knew this??? how is this a revalation i think bella has self esteem issues and should maybe do some affirmations or something, carry a crystal around maybe lol i think it would make her less annoying.
She was also so mean to Charlie like the amount of times she just ran away from home with no note or anything like Charlie must be worried sick and also just tired of Bella. Like imagine having a little brat of a child that brings you to near heart attacks every month just cause her boyfriend ran away like i would be getting annoyed as well and trying to stop her from hanging out with Edward. Bella is just so frustating, she pretends to care about Charlie but just constantly hurts him and only thinks about herself, selfish really.
Bella was also getting on my nerves about the whole turn me into a vampire thing, she honestly sounded cringy and desparate did she have no dignity at all. Imagine being a vampire in a coven and this random human girl was tripping over herself in excitement to become one of you i would be like this girl needs a reality check and some self respect. Also imagine Rosalie who hates being a vampire and theres this girl who doesnt care about the consequences at all and just wants to be with her stupid boyfriend forever. God.
- I was also suprisingly missing all of Bella's human 'friends'. We only saw them like twice and i didnt realise how much i enjoyed the scenes with them and Bella at school. I wrote in my last review how i didnt like how Bella was distancing herself from humans to make it more obvious she should turn into a vampire and i still hate it. I feel like having more humans in Bellas life would balance out the story and make Bella more appreciative of her human life, instead of making an irrational decision for one guy.
So yeah not as good as the first but also hasnt put me off the saga all together.
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was cute and fun. Very easy to read and a nice distraction, but it wasnt that gripping like i didnt have an urge to read it where im thinking about it all the time.
I liked Oz and Mariel, i didnt mind her friends, and i did enjoy the plot i think it was clever and there was actually stuff going on. I personally felt like the romance was good and they were cute together. To me this is kinda like a filler book but it was still enjoyable.
I liked Oz and Mariel, i didnt mind her friends, and i did enjoy the plot i think it was clever and there was actually stuff going on. I personally felt like the romance was good and they were cute together. To me this is kinda like a filler book but it was still enjoyable.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
im just confused
- First of all ive learnt that i dont really like books that have writers as the main characters no offence to authors but they just come across as annoying and im never invested in their writing process.
- Second of all i have no clue what the message this book is trying to send, am i meant to side with June? am I meant to side with twitter? i have no idea.
So summary of the book a white author (June) steals a dead chinese woman's (Athena) book that was never published or seen by anyone. June then receives hate articles, reviews, youtube videos, and tweets about cultural appropriation and stuff and feels out of place when invited to AAPI events (the book was about chinese soldiers in WW1).
So after reading reviews of yellowface i think that Kuang has the view that white authors often steal the history of marginalised groups even though they did not experience the trauma themselves. But then Im just confused because the book is writted from the perspective of June, so a lot of the times we are left to feel sympathy for her.
For example June literally gets harassed, bullied and drived to the edge of insanity due to people online posting 'allegations' and making up fake profiles pretending that Athena was alive. At one point this even leads to a real life confrontation and while reading i literally wanted June to kill the person who was behind the account like she was a literal psycho who on earth thinks thats ok and in the tags it says its a thriller soooo i was expecting something like to happen.
I appreciate that these characters are caricatures and are meant to be over the top but i just dont understand why the author would make the people attacking June so unlikeable if she herself agrees with what theyre saying.
Then June is also extremely annoying she just whined and complained for the whole book. This made the book drag because nothing was happening. June released a book inspired by Athena, June receives hate, June cries, repeat. I just wanted the book to CHOOSE which direction it was going to go in. Is June going to get caught? Is June going to get away with it? I mean this is labelled as a thriller so maybe this is meant to be suspense but it just wasnt working for me.
So yeah the plot of the book just felt kinda pointless? idk the last page didnt leave me satisfied at all i was just like ok??? and shut the book. I still dont get what im meant to think, the twitter mob was obvi insane and chronically online but i obviously think its wrong for June to steal the book and just blatently deny it the whole time. I think the high praise this was getting let me down and it isnt really about themes that i enjoy anyway so it was doomed to get a low star review from me.
- First of all ive learnt that i dont really like books that have writers as the main characters no offence to authors but they just come across as annoying and im never invested in their writing process.
- Second of all i have no clue what the message this book is trying to send, am i meant to side with June? am I meant to side with twitter? i have no idea.
So summary of the book a white author (June) steals a dead chinese woman's (Athena) book that was never published or seen by anyone. June then receives hate articles, reviews, youtube videos, and tweets about cultural appropriation and stuff and feels out of place when invited to AAPI events (the book was about chinese soldiers in WW1).
So after reading reviews of yellowface i think that Kuang has the view that white authors often steal the history of marginalised groups even though they did not experience the trauma themselves. But then Im just confused because the book is writted from the perspective of June, so a lot of the times we are left to feel sympathy for her.
For example June literally gets harassed, bullied and drived to the edge of insanity due to people online posting 'allegations' and making up fake profiles pretending that Athena was alive. At one point this even leads to a real life confrontation and while reading i literally
I appreciate that these characters are caricatures and are meant to be over the top but i just dont understand why the author would make the people attacking June so unlikeable if she herself agrees with what theyre saying.
Then June is also extremely annoying she just whined and complained for the whole book. This made the book drag because nothing was happening. June released a book inspired by Athena, June receives hate, June cries, repeat. I just wanted the book to CHOOSE which direction it was going to go in. Is June going to get caught? Is June going to get away with it? I mean this is labelled as a thriller so maybe this is meant to be suspense but it just wasnt working for me.
So yeah the plot of the book just felt kinda pointless? idk the last page didnt leave me satisfied at all i was just like ok??? and shut the book. I still dont get what im meant to think, the twitter mob was obvi insane and chronically online but i obviously think its wrong for June to steal the book and just blatently deny it the whole time. I think the high praise this was getting let me down and it isnt really about themes that i enjoy anyway so it was doomed to get a low star review from me.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Im extremely late to reading this cultural icon but im glad ive finally caught up
➢ So the start of this book honesty exceeded my expectations. I was like wow Bella actually has sort of a personality, im vibing with the style of writing, and Edward is sassier than I expected.
The start of the book was setting up for a really nice enemies to lovers small town rainy cozy plot that i was looking forward towards. It obviously does not stay that way but it was absolutely great while it lasted, i was whizzing through it.
➢ So like i said it kinda had an enemies to lovers vibe which i was enjoying, but then they just love bombed each other too quickly which kinda ruined it. She says shes in love with him dramatically before theyve even kissed and if im remembering the plot correctly before theyve even gone on a date. I also hated that Edward kept talking about how he wished he could stay away and that he wished that what he was would terrify her and im just like youve stayed away from humans for like a century all ready surely you can just persevere the self control and stay away from Bella.
Like couldnt he have gone to the Cullen fam and been like hey guys um theres this girl that smells extra nice so im gonna need some support in order to not ruin this whole thing that weve created. And then everyone would go yeah Edward youve got this and encouraged him to stay away and none of this would have happened.
➢ What sort of name is Edward please it was taking me out of the romance and im so sorry if your name is Edward but i just couldnt keep reading it why did Stephenie Meyer have to chose that of all names
➢ The setting was immaculate honestly and i was liking all of these human people. The one thing that annoyed me though was Bella's reaction to all of them. She kinda just shrugged them all of and didnt try to connect or listen to what they were saying, i felt so bad for Jessica and the other girls name. Like Bella literally liked the other girl because she didnt talk....ok hun. I also liked Mike and Tyler they added some lighthearted teenage drama to the story. However Charlie needs to get a life eww all he does is just go to work, fish, and watch tv hes hot in the film but he is like a manchild in the book.
So this is why it was so annoying when Bella had barely even had a conversation with Alice but somehow calls her a friend right away even though i barely saw them interact. It was just painfully obvious that Stephenie Meyer was trying to do a 'not like other humans' thing with Bella so that it makes more sense why she feels one with the vampires but i just dont buy that. I would rather Bella still makes connections with human people which leads to like a whole internal conflict where Bella has to think about the consequences of hanging out with vampires and stuff and it just makes it more dramatic and interesting.
➢ What happens if a Black person turns into a vampire cause they keep talking about how they are all so pale and im like weird flex but ok. So if a black person turns do they become darker or what happens are they suddenly white? im confused.
➢ Bella must be suicidal because i hate how she is so impassive about all of this. LIKE HELLO VAMPIRES ARE REAL and shes having no thoughts about that at all. It is slightly annoying to read her have no reaction although i can see they are infatuated with each other and it being her first boyfriend im like ok i understand.
I hated the vampire conflict but it was obviously going to happen duh shes a human hanging out with vampires. The thing that annoyed me though is that Bella just ditched them all when she found out her mum was kidnapped as she was going to sacrifice herself. I was just not convinced as nothing about bellas personality up until this point has made me think that she would sacrafice herself, she doesnt come across as brave or anything just stupid and irrational.
I was screaming in my head at her to tell Alice and Jasper about the phone call like they literally have vampire powers and years of intelligence they could have come up with a plan. I know the guy said to not bring the other vampires but they could just not have phoned carlise in order for Victoria not to hear and then just come up with a better plan than Bella running at the opportunity to die.
➢ Honestly can bella just get up like whats the point of her tripping all the time genuinely what does it add. Is it so there is a plausable excuse at the end of the story for why she has all of these injuries? If thats the only reason then im annoyed bc it ruining scenes for me.
Also imagine going to your prom in a leg cast like i would have thrown an even bigger fit than Bella did and demand Edward bring me home.
➢ Jacob is a little sweetie i cant wait to read more about him. If for right now you would ask me team Edward or Jacob then i would say Jacob but i havent finished the saga yet obviously.
Jasper is also cute in the film and i like his ability but we dont really get to read much about him so hopefully he features more soon.
Also omg Rosalie my queen she seems the most normal and level headed hopefully the next book has her drop kicking Bella or something.
➢ So the start of this book honesty exceeded my expectations. I was like wow Bella actually has sort of a personality, im vibing with the style of writing, and Edward is sassier than I expected.
The start of the book was setting up for a really nice enemies to lovers small town rainy cozy plot that i was looking forward towards. It obviously does not stay that way but it was absolutely great while it lasted, i was whizzing through it.
➢ So like i said it kinda had an enemies to lovers vibe which i was enjoying, but then they just love bombed each other too quickly which kinda ruined it. She says shes in love with him dramatically before theyve even kissed and if im remembering the plot correctly before theyve even gone on a date. I also hated that Edward kept talking about how he wished he could stay away and that he wished that what he was would terrify her and im just like youve stayed away from humans for like a century all ready surely you can just persevere the self control and stay away from Bella.
Like couldnt he have gone to the Cullen fam and been like hey guys um theres this girl that smells extra nice so im gonna need some support in order to not ruin this whole thing that weve created. And then everyone would go yeah Edward youve got this and encouraged him to stay away and none of this would have happened.
➢ What sort of name is Edward please it was taking me out of the romance and im so sorry if your name is Edward but i just couldnt keep reading it why did Stephenie Meyer have to chose that of all names
➢ The setting was immaculate honestly and i was liking all of these human people. The one thing that annoyed me though was Bella's reaction to all of them. She kinda just shrugged them all of and didnt try to connect or listen to what they were saying, i felt so bad for Jessica and the other girls name. Like Bella literally liked the other girl because she didnt talk....ok hun. I also liked Mike and Tyler they added some lighthearted teenage drama to the story. However Charlie needs to get a life eww all he does is just go to work, fish, and watch tv hes hot in the film but he is like a manchild in the book.
So this is why it was so annoying when Bella had barely even had a conversation with Alice but somehow calls her a friend right away even though i barely saw them interact. It was just painfully obvious that Stephenie Meyer was trying to do a 'not like other humans' thing with Bella so that it makes more sense why she feels one with the vampires but i just dont buy that. I would rather Bella still makes connections with human people which leads to like a whole internal conflict where Bella has to think about the consequences of hanging out with vampires and stuff and it just makes it more dramatic and interesting.
➢ What happens if a Black person turns into a vampire cause they keep talking about how they are all so pale and im like weird flex but ok. So if a black person turns do they become darker or what happens are they suddenly white? im confused.
➢ Bella must be suicidal because i hate how she is so impassive about all of this. LIKE HELLO VAMPIRES ARE REAL and shes having no thoughts about that at all. It is slightly annoying to read her have no reaction although i can see they are infatuated with each other and it being her first boyfriend im like ok i understand.
I hated the vampire conflict but it was obviously going to happen duh shes a human hanging out with vampires. The thing that annoyed me though is that Bella just ditched them all when she found out her mum was kidnapped as she was going to sacrifice herself. I was just not convinced as nothing about bellas personality up until this point has made me think that she would sacrafice herself, she doesnt come across as brave or anything just stupid and irrational.
I was screaming in my head at her to tell Alice and Jasper about the phone call like they literally have vampire powers and years of intelligence they could have come up with a plan. I know the guy said to not bring the other vampires but they could just not have phoned carlise in order for Victoria not to hear and then just come up with a better plan than Bella running at the opportunity to die.
➢ Honestly can bella just get up like whats the point of her tripping all the time genuinely what does it add. Is it so there is a plausable excuse at the end of the story for why she has all of these injuries? If thats the only reason then im annoyed bc it ruining scenes for me.
Also imagine going to your prom in a leg cast like i would have thrown an even bigger fit than Bella did and demand Edward bring me home.
➢ Jacob is a little sweetie i cant wait to read more about him. If for right now you would ask me team Edward or Jacob then i would say Jacob but i havent finished the saga yet obviously.
Jasper is also cute in the film and i like his ability but we dont really get to read much about him so hopefully he features more soon.
Also omg Rosalie my queen she seems the most normal and level headed hopefully the next book has her drop kicking Bella or something.